The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-05
A STORY OF MRS. LIVERM ORE.

Time is pas. Universal Thinker.
A STORY OF MRS. LIVERM ORE.
There is good story about Mrs. Liv-
ermore, which has gone long enough un-
told. She was booked to lecture in Mel
rose, one evening several years ago for
the benefit OF the Unitarian church, OF
which she is a member. Tickets were
sold to the extent of the seating capacity
of the house, and 5000 had been taken
in by the committee of sale on the Satur-
day announced as the day of the lecture.
The evening came, and with it one Of the
worst storms Of New England winter,
snow and slush and rsin, bitter cold
and impossible sire ets,-the widest and
most impossible of nights for an audi-
ence of any sort. Mr.. Norris, of the
lecture committee came to Mrs. Liver
more's house at dark.
"The lecture must be postponed" said
he.
at can't be done," was the reply. Il
leave Monday morning to fill three
months list Of Western engagements. I
must lecture for our church tonight or
not at a | this year. When was crossing
the Atlantic once, there came up great
storm, and [ tried to fluid out from the
steward who came to fasten my window,
how much OF storm it was. Don't
know nothin'a about the weather. said
he. The weather's the captains business
It's my lookout to tend to thing. below
decks That's the case now. The wealth
er's the captains business. It's my
duty to do what I'm booked to do. I'm
going over to the church and give that
lecture, beginning at the hour advertis.
ed, whether there is anybody there or
not
But You can't get over there, mother"
urged Mr.. Norris. He lived, at the time,
several streets distant.
GLOW did you get down here?" she
asked.
"In q station cab"
"Very we'll, that cab may take me to
the church, and then it may bring all
the people in thus house and in your
house down to the church. Wecan have
a homemade audience at all events; and
it won't kill the cab horse to get us
through the street either"
Mr. Norris fell into the spirit of the oc-
casion; and when, at the appointed time,
Mrs. Livermore rose at the reading desk,
she saw before her an audience of seven
teen people, counting every member,
young and old, "bond and Free" of her
own and her daughters households, and
including only two or three other per-
sons.
Her flock knew the lecture we'll, and
they were accustomed to be playful with
her. Her husband began the struggle for
liberty before the lecturer had been
speaking very long.
"Come, wife," he said, from his pew,
i've know all that; and you have lectured
long enough to satisfy your conscience.
Let us call it done, and go home. It's
cold here"
"Pleass keep still, my DEAR" she said,
dropping the lecturing tone for the con-
jugsl one. ~ agreed to lecture here to-
night, and I'm going to lecture. I'm not
to blame that 1 have 50 unappreciative
an audience" Then she went on with
the arguments and her illustrations of
her theme.
"Mother," was the next interruption,
edo finish. want to take the children
home, and put them TO bed"
"Let them go to sleep where they are.
Cover them up and don't interrupt This
is public lecture, and it isn't proper for
you to speak out in that way. You
mustn't talk, if your naughty mamma
does, my dears," to her grandchildren.
Then the lecture went on. The lively
audience set up their coats and shawls
as dummy members OF larger audience
They applauded in the right places and
yawned in the wrong ones, they lifted up
their voices now and then to try to beg
off from being the great public, but were
promptly tol A cash time TO be quiet, by
the voice OF maternal authority. 1t
took Mrs. Livermore a quarter of an
hour longer to give that lecture than her
usual time for it, subjected as she was, to
domestic interruption, but in her own
words, she "lectured honest and fair for
one hour and fifteen minutes, until the
address was given
In spite OF the comedy of it all, into |
which no one could enter more heartily |
than Mrs. Livermore herself, there was
a heroic view of the fact,-that, in spite
OF wind and weather and the most diff
cult audience that a speaker ever had,
she stood up there and gave the lecture,
it was impossible to keep faith
with the people of Melrose unless she
gave it that night, even though they
could not come to hear her.-BOstOn Ad-
UertiSer.